1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of apparatus for sterilizing fields and more specifically sports fields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High-performance, artificial athletic fields are increasingly being installed and used in communities. Many of these fields are “infill turf systems” in which blades of synthetic grass are tucked into a backing system that is covered with a deep layer of sand and/or synthetic particles (the infill material). The infill materials are often made of small particles of rubber or plastic, which fills the spaces between the fibers (blades of “grass”) to hold the fibers up and to provide a cushion surface.
The infill material and synthetic fibers can provide a host for a variety of substances including mold, bacteria and a variety of germicidal agents. The current procedure is to spray various chemicals on the field to thereby sterilize the field and provide a safe environment. Spraying of chemicals onto artificial fields is quite expensive due not only to the labor involved but also the cost of raw materials.
An alternate approach in decontaminating surfaces is through the use of ultraviolet light. For example, In U.S. Pat. No. 7,459,694, there is disclosed a mobile germicidal system for decontaminating walls and a ceiling of a room. Germicidal lamps are positioned adjacent the wall and/or ceiling to thereby sterilize the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,552 discloses an ultraviolet air sterilization device for connection to an air handling duct for the purpose of sterilizing the air as it flows through the duct. U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,455 discloses a mobile unit incorporating many of the features of U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,552 and includes a wheeled carriage with a handle to allow the operator to traverse the sterilization device over a floor covering.
In my aforementioned parent U.S. parent applications, I have disclosed a mobile device that is easily movable across a field such as a synthetic soccer or football field while quickly destroying undesirable agents existing on the synthetic field. In many cases, the fields will have goal post, benches, and other objects located on or adjacent the field. The mobile device disclosed in my aforementioned parent U.S. patent applications, are sized such that it is difficult to sanitize the turf immediately adjacent the objects. I have therefore provided and disclosed herein a smaller mobile device that has ultraviolet lights for destroying all undesirable foreign materials on the turn immediately adjacent the objects.
In many cases, it is desirable to sanitize interior spaces of buildings including locker rooms, weight rooms and fitness areas. I have therefore provided a sterilization module carried on but separable from the mobile UV sterilization unit. The sterilization module includes the same germicidal UV technology as the mobile UV sterilization unit and can be powered by an onboard generator or plugged into any electric wall outlet via a power cord. Thus, lockers, benches, etc. within the interior spaced may be sanitized.